In hot strip mills, plate-steckel mills and some narrow plate mills, movement of the rollers necessary for width adjustment is typically achieved using hydraulic cylinders.
However, in plate mills both cylinders and mechanical screws are used for the width adjustment because very large movements of the rollers at high speeds is necessary. In order to provide such movements by the cylinders historically used for the edging operation, very large quantities of hydraulic fluid would need to be transferred at high flow rates. This in turn would require large hydraulic pumping systems, servo valves, conduits etc.
Nevertheless, hydraulic cylinders offer a relatively cheap, simple and low-maintenance option and a system allowing use of these in the plate environment represents a desirable advance in the art.